Spicy Dishes

When we were growing up in our Indo-lraqi family, chilli was a common ingredient in much of our food. We can never forget the curries that our grandmother prepared, with their mouth- and eye-watering aromas and flavours; they were so hot that we could only eat a few spoonfuls with a large bowl of cooling rice.

So it is no surprise that spicy food and chillies have played a large part in our menus at The Gate. When we first started cooking and opened the restaurant, most of our dishes were quite spicy. It was only when we came to understand that not everyone wanted to eat spicy foods all the time that we began to explore and appreciate more subtle flavours. All the dishes in this chapter feature chilli and spices, but the chillies are used as much to intensify the flavours of other ingredients as for their unique flavour and heat. Chilli and spices give food the intensity we love, as well as invigorating and warming the palate.